


don't get attached

by aqdanfin



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Highschool AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-30 07:31:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19848463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aqdanfin/pseuds/aqdanfin
Summary: when andrew is a new student at arlington high school, anthony does everything in his power to not get attached to him. will he succeed?





	1. the new kid

**Author's Note:**

> have some highschool vixen x blair 'cause i'm a sucker for highschool love.

Anthony sat at his desk uncomfortably. He rested the side of his head on his hand and looked out the window absentmindedly. He watched a bird fly down out of a tree and grab a twig. The bird flew back up in the tree and weaved the twig into a nest it was making. Watching a bird make a nest was a lot more interesting than math class with Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore was a very stern man that most tenth graders at Arlington High School dreaded.

As the bird swooped down to grab another twig, Mr. Moore noticed Anthony not paying attention. He decided to take an advantage at it. “Mr. Anthony Taylor,” he said. 

Anthony flinched and looked up at Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore was looking directly at him. Anthony noticed most of the class staring at him. _Oh no... I'm in trouble now._ He told himself “Y-Yes sir?” he asked. He knew it wasn't wise to disrespect Mr. Moore right now. It would probably get him written up.

“Mr. Anthony Taylor, can you tell me what the answer to number ten is?” Mr. Moore asked. He stood in front of the board so Anthony couldn't see the answer. He didn't want to go that easy on him.

Anthony felt relieved at the simple question. He had completed half of his math homework last night, so this would be easy! “Well, Mr. Moore, the answer to number ten is: 16.5,” he replied confidently. He restated the question in hopes of getting off the hook, or out of trouble.

Mr. Moore nodded, “Correct. What is the answer to number eleven?” He knew Anthony didn't know this. Anthony only answered ten out of the twenty questions the class was assigned the night before.

Anthony didn't know what to say. He didn't know this. He knew how to do advanced Algebraic equations when they were written out on paper, but he didn't know if he could do it in his head. “Um...uh...” he froze, hoping Mr. Moore would skip him and move on.

“No,” Mr. Moore replied. “The answer to number eleven is negative fourteen. You'd probably know that if you completed your homework last night. You will have detention with me this afternoon.” A few students snickered, and Anthony's face heated up. He didn't want everyone in the class to know that he hadn't completed three assignments.

“Excuse me, would anyone else like to-” Before Mr. Moore could finish his statement, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Moore sighed and walked towards the door. He opened it and saw the guidance counselor, Mrs. Woods, two other women, and a boy. The boy stayed close to his mothers.

“Good morning, Mr. Moore,” Mrs. Woods said. Mr. Moore's students started talking immediately. “I have a new student here today.” She stepped to the side so Mr. Moore could see the boy. The boy stayed next to his mothers. He looked down to avoid making eye contact with anyone.

His mother Ivy patted him on the back and smiled, hoping it would help her son relax. “Don't be shy, Andrew, it's okay. You're in good hands. If you weren't, your Mama J and I wouldn't have enrolled you here,” she looked up at her wife, Jinkx. “Isn't that right, Jinkx?” 

Jinkx nodded, “Mama Iv is right, Andrew. If we didn't trust these teachers and staff members, we wouldn't leave you here. We would've homeschooled you or found another school. This is your chance to make new friends. Doesn't that sound fun?” She hoped her son would say yes. She hated seeing him so nervous and panicked.

“I-I'm not sure...” Andrew replied shakily. He glanced into the classroom and saw what seemed like tons of students. All of them looked bigger than him. _What if one of them decided to mess with me on the first day? I don't have anyone to rely on for backup. There's no way in Hell I could defend myself._ He thought to himself.

He was nervous because his right ear was pierced. It wouldn't be so bad if the "right ear is the gay ear" wasn't a thing. - He was gay, but he didn't want everyone to assume his sexual orientation because of a piercing. - A lot of students at his old school found out about it and started bothering him profusely. That's one of the reasons why he transferred schools.

“It'll be fine,” Ivy assured him. “Just stay with Mrs. Woods. She'll tell you what to do. I love you.” She kissed Andrew's forehead and hugged him. 

“I love you, too,” Jinkx added. She hugged him and kissed his forehead, too. She hoped he'd settle in okay.

“I love you, too,” Andrew said. He took a step towards Mrs. Woods. Jinkx and Ivy felt proud of him. He watched as they walked away. He hoped he could build his confidence throughout the day so today wouldn't be awful.

Once Jinkx and Ivy were out of sight, Mrs. Woods decided to introduce Andrew to Mr. Moore. “Andrew, this is Mr. Moore. He will be your homeroom and math teacher. The students inside the classroom will be with you for math, pride, or morning, time, and study hall. I'm sure Mr. Moore will ask one of your peers to help you throughout the day,” Mrs. Woods explained. 

Andrew nodded and looked up at Mr. Moore. He felt a bit intimidated by the taller male. He hesitantly took a step towards Mr. Moore. He knew he needed to get on good terms with him, especially if he was as strict and mean as everyone said. Mr. Moore held his hand out for Andrew to shake. Andrew shook his hand, despite how intimidating the man was.

“Hello, Andrew. As Mrs. Woods said, I am Mr. Moore. I am your homeroom and math teacher. You'll have fun in this classroom, I promise,” Mr. Moore explained. He managed to make eye contact with Andrew. He was pleased by that while Andrew felt a little uneasy.

“Hi,” Andrew replied. _Maybe he isn't so bad? He doesn't seem mean, he's just... tall and buff._

“That's all for now,” Mrs. Woods said with a smile. She looked at Mr. Moore. “His test scores, grades, and other data should be transferred over in a few days. If you have any trouble, please contact me.” She then looked at Andrew again. “Have a good day, Andrew.” She smiled to him before walking away.

Mr. Moore led Andrew into the classroom. The class fell silent and looked to the front, directly at Andrew. Andrew didn't enjoy all the attention; he didn't know who any of these people were.

“Class, this is Andrew. He is a new student here. I don't want you to give him any trouble,” Mr. Moore explained. Anthony's eyes widened at the sight of the boy. _Well, well, well, he looks pretty cute, but he's probably  
not my type personality wise._

“Transferring schools is rough. Imagine leaving all of your old friends behind. How would you feel? When you finally transferred, you'd have to relearn procedures. That can be hard. So, I'll be assigning...” Mr. Moore looked around the room. His eyes landed on Anthony. He knew Anthony preferred to be independent. This would be a great way to punish the boy. “Anthony as Andrew's helper.”

Anthony stared at Mr. Moore in shock. _How dare he! He knows I can't work with people that well! Sure, the new student is cute, but I'd rather have a detention than help a newbie. There's no telling what my friends would say and/or think._ He was right; partner work wasn't for him. He proved that by getting in a fight with every partner he was assigned to.

“Anthony, raise your hand,” Mr. Moore said. Anthony rolled his eyes and raised his hand limply. He over-exaggerated his displeasure to make it obvious.

Mr. Moore ignored Anthony's antics. He would have to talk to him later; there was only ten minutes until the next period. “Sit in the empty seat beside Anthony,” he told Andrew. 

Andrew nodded and walked over to Anthony. He smiled shyly so he could come off as friendly instead of cowardly. - He was thankful that his left side faced Anthony instead of his right side. - Anthony didn't return Andrew's gesture. He sat with his arms crossed and kept a neutral expression. 

Mr. Moore felt pleased. He had managed to punish a student and help another. “Andrew, you won't have to do any work this period. Just listen when I'm talking so you know what we're doing tomorrow,” he said. He looked up at the board and picked up where he left off on the lesson. Anthony sighed in irritation; _Today must be one of those days when nothing works out._


	2. "hello..."

By science, which was the next period, Anthony had lightened up about helping the new kid. It would only last for a day or two. - And, Andrew was pretty quiet. - Once Andrew got used to the schedule, Anthony could leave him. Anthony was ready to have his independence back.

“So, what's your name?” Anthony asked Andrew. He might as well attempt to be acquaintances with his apprentice. He knew his name of course, but he couldn't think of any other conversation starters.

Andrew turned towards Anthony. “It's Andrew... Didn't you listen to Mr. Moore?” Andrew began to think he was paired with a troublemaker. So far, Anthony had rejected his kindness and seemed to not have listened to Mr. Moore.

Anthony nodded, “I was just curious... As Mr. Moore said earlier, I'm Anthony.” _Don't you dare get too attached to me. This is just temporary. Even if he is cute._

Andrew nodded; he didn't know what else to say. He wasn't the best at starting conversations with new people, especially when his confidence was considerably low. He bit his bottom lip out of awkwardness and turned to face the front of the classroom. _I really hope Anthony says something soon._

Anthony didn't know what to say either. He found himself staring at Andrew, even after Andrew had looked away. _Goddamn, he is adorable. He's so awkward and shy... I know I said I wouldn't get attached, but that may be a challenge. I'll have to keep myself cut off emotionally for a few days._ Anthony thought if he didn't allow himself to think about his feelings or express them, he wouldn't grow attached to Andrew. He was positive it would work. 

_Just a few more days, Anthony; you can last that long._

Soon, the teacher announced that it was time to leave. Anthony put his worksheet inside of his science book. He noticed that Andrew was ready to leave before him. 

“Are you ready yet?” Andrew asked. He was eager to get to the next class. Everyone had been really nice so far. No one said anything about his right ear being pierced instead of his left one. He hoped that meant nobody believed in that stupid myth. 

Anthony scoffed, “Nerd.” He knew being cruel would make Andrew want to stay away from him. It was fun to feel like you have power over someone, too.

Andrew wanted to tell Anthony that he did not like the term "nerd" being used in such a rude way. He wanted to stand up for himself. However, his shyness got the best of him and he bit his tongue. He followed Anthony out of the classroom.

Anthony had to go to his locker. He glanced back to make sure Andrew was keeping up with him. He knew the hallways could get crowded and confusing during transitions between classes.

Andrew kept his head down. He only looked up to make sure Anthony was in front of him. He saw unfamiliar people around them. He hoped everyone would stay unfamiliar for awhile. That meant no one knew of the piercing myth.

Anthony stopped at his locker and quickly put in his combination. He put his science and math materials in his locker and got his reading and English materials out. Those were his next two classes. 

Andrew took this chance to look around and become familiar with his surroundings. He saw a few clocks, scuffs on the floor, and paint scratched off of lockers. Little details like that could help him get used to this place.

While scanning the area, he saw a familiar face; the face of David Huggard. His breath became caught in his throat. David went to his old school. He and Andrew were friends at one point, but peer pressure drove them apart. David heard all the rumors once he became popular. So, of course, he heard the rumor about a boy's right ear being pierced. _Oh my God, oh my God, oh my Go-_

“Andrew, what's wrong?” Anthony asked. He thought Andrew was having a panic attack since his breathing was quick and shallow. He couldn't help but worry.

Andrew looked at Anthony and shook his head. “Nothing- Nothing, I'm fine.” He didn't realise his breathing was as erratic.

Anthony shrugged; he didn't want to question it. “If you say so,” he said. “Let's get to class.”


	3. acquaintance

Later on that day, Andrew met Anthony at his locker. He had to go to the office to retrieve his things from his old school. That meant he could now do work with his peers. He was glad he had memorized the layout of the school enough to at least make it to Anthony's locker. 

"So, what's next?" Andrew asked. The day was still going well, despite the brief "confrontation" with David that had shaken Andrew earlier.

"We have to go to your locker, and then lunch. I'll introduce you to my friends," Anthony replied. He knew introducing Andrew to his friends was a risk. At least two of them would like him. They've been waiting for a new kid all year, and here Andrew was.

Andrew nodded, "Uh, lead the way." He let Anthony step in front of him and lead him to his locker. _So he's letting me meet his friends? Maybe he is nice,_ Andrew thought to himself. He hoped he was nice. He didn't want to be stuck with a mean kid. They usually got in trouble the most.

Anthony pushed past people like he was some kind of bodyguard. He didn't want to deal with any drama at that moment. 

When they arrived at Andrew's locker, Anthony let Andrew take the lead again. Andrew quickly put in the combination that was written on a piece of paper. A lady in the office gave it to him. Luckily, he got his locker open on the first try. He put all of his supplies in the small space. 

He then turned to Anthony, "Where to next?"

Anthony rolled his eyes. And he got onto me for not listening. "The cafeteria. I told you this minutes ago," he said.

"Oh, I know," Andrew replied. _Now you know how I felt earlier._ He usually wasn't one to get revenge, but it was a great opportunity. Plus, he made him feel more comfortable about what would happen next. 

"Lead the way," he told Anthony. _I hope his friends are nice._

-

The table fell silent as Anthony and Andrew sat down. All eyes went to Andrew, which made him uneasy. He hadn't experienced this treatment in months. The silence was awkward and uncomfortable.

Anthony looked at his friends, Jaren, Maxwell, Giovanni, and Antwan. He hoped they would speak first. He didn't know how to start this conversation.

After a few more moments of staring, Jaren decided to break the silence.

"So, Anthony, who's this?"

The area immediately became less tense. Anthony sat up straight; he didn't realise he was slouching before. "This is Andrew. I have to help him for a few days," he explained. "And, Andrew, this is Jaren, Maxwell, Giovanni, and Antwan." He pointed to each person as he said their name.

Jaren nodded and turned their attention to Andrew, who bit his lip in nervousness. He knew he was most likely blushing; he could feel his cheeks and ears burning. _Why do they have to stare at me..?_

"You're the new kid, right?" Giovanni asked. _Is he even old enough to be in highschool?_ He wondered. He hadn't seen Andrew around before. 

Andrew nodded, "Yeah..." What else can I say?

"So, Andrew, where are you from?" Maxwell asked. He had a feeling Andrew felt nervous and awkward. Who wouldn't feel that way in a new school?

Andrew felt some of the nervous tension leave his body. "Indianapolis. I transferred from the Wilson school district," he replied. He didn't want to say too much - not yet, at least.

"I hear it's a good school," Maxwell said. He actually had no idea if the school was good or not. He just wanted to sound nice.

Andrew shrugged, "I don't know. They say the staff are responsive and helpful, but they're not." He knew that all too well. None of the staff stepped in to help when he was being bullied. They would just give the guilty person a slap on the wrist and send them back to their class.

 _Not responsive or helpful? How would he know that? David didn't bully him in his old school, did he?_ Anthony wondered. He saw Andrew looking at David as he panicked earlier. He had a feeling David was the cause of that episode. _But why should I care..? He won't be my problem in a few days._

"That's not a problem here," Maxwell told Andrew. He was part of the student council; he knew the staff very well.

Andrew felt a bit of reassurance. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to deal with any problems that would be adult intervention. All of Anthony's friends seem nice, even though only two have spoken.

"How old are you?" Giovanni asked. _If he's fifteen or sixteen, I must ask how he keeps such a youthful appearance._

"Sixteen," Andrew replied. _Why does is even matter?_ He was insecure about how young he looked. It made him uncomfortable when someone mentioned it.

Anthony noticed how uncomfortable Andrew was after Giovanni asked that question. He wanted to ask Giovanni why he asked such an intrusive question, since he did feel a bit of a need to protect Andrew while he was his helper, but Antwan spoke first.

"Why does it matter?" He asked Giovanni. Like Anthony, he found the question a little intrusive, especially since they had just been introduced to Andrew.

Giovanni shrugged, "Just curious." 

"Alright then," Antwan said. He knew he should've excused Giovanni, since the boy did occasionally ask stupid questions, but he didn't really think before he spoke. 

The group fell silent once again, only is wasn't uncomfortable and awkward. It suited the moment.

Fifteen minutes later, it was time for everyone to go to their next class. Antwan, Giovanni, Jaren, Maxwell, and Anthony said their goodbyes to each other. Andrew said goodbye, too, but it was a bit awkward for him. The others hoped to see him the next day. They liked him. He wasn't too loud or cocky.

"Hey, you'll have to excuse Giovanni. He's stupid sometimes," Anthony told Andrew. He wanted to make sure he was okay, even if he wasn't planning on being close to him.

"It's okay," Andrew said. _Don't say too much, Drew, even if Anthony does seem nice._ "I understand why he asked."

Anthony thought he did, too. He, too, questioned Andrew's age when he first saw him, even if it wasn't any of his business. 

"Just wanted to make sure," he said. _Damn, Anthony, did you really have to say that? What about the heartless persona you were going to use?_ He knew by now his plan would most likely fall through, but he still had to try. He did not need to give up on the first day.

He led Andrew to his locker, and to their next class. _Just three more hours until you go home, Anthony. You've got this._


End file.
